Japan is developing a 5th generation fighter of its own

Harold C. Hutchison
Nov 1, 2018 9:35 PM PDT
1 minute read
Aviation photo

SUMMARY

The United States, Russia, and the People’s Republic of China have all either deployed or are developing fifth-generation fighters. These are planes that sport stealth technology, high performance, and very advanced avionics. However, th…

The United States, Russia, and the People's Republic of China have all either deployed or are developing fifth-generation fighters. These are planes that sport stealth technology, high performance, and very advanced avionics.


However, there's another country looking at developing a fifth-generation fighter: Japan. This doesn't come as a surprise — last September, reports surfaced that Japan had developed an unmanned combat air vehicle along the lines of the X-47 program. It's clear that they're looking to modernize and upgrade.

The Mitsubishi X-2 in a hangar. (Wikimedia Commons photo by Hunini)

Historically, Japan has long been capable of building state-of-the-art jets. The Mitsubishi F-1 fighter, based on the T-2 trainer, was a successful, indigenous fighter design. Mitsubishi also built F-4 and F-15 fighters for the Japanese Self-Defense Force under a license from McDonnell-Douglas (later Boeing) in the 1980s and 1990s. They went on to develop indigenous upgrades for the F-4 and a roided-up version of the F-16, the F-2.

Japan currently is test flying the Mitsubishi X-2 Shinshin, also known as the ATD-X. The plane first flew in 2016 and is expected to have an internal 20mm cannon and six bays for a mixture of air-to-air and air-to-surface ordnance. MilitaryFactory.com notes that it has a top speed of just under 1,600 miles per hour. The X-2 is comparable to the Advanced Tactical Fighter prototypes that flew in the early 1990s, including the YF-22 Lightning and the YF-23 Black Widow.

This model of the Mitsubishi X-2 Shinshin was used for wind-tunnel testing. (Wikimedia Commons photo by Hunini)

Should the X-2 successfully complete its test flight, Japan would be well on their way to fielding a true fifth-generation fighter. Such a fighter is likely to be designated F-3. Mitsubishi will likely produce the plane, making it the latest in a long line of deadly fighters the company has produced, including the legendary A6M "Zero."

Learn more about the X-2 in the video below:

 

(Skyships Eng | YouTube)

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